[7Figures2Commas]

> ...we've been in this cycle of "easy money, spend spend spend" followed by "crap, bubble". Sure there's money to be made on the upside, but there's even more to lose on the way down.

I'm sure this comment will be downvoted, but there's just as much if not more money to make on the way down. When people, companies and governments take on too much debt, and capital is misallocated, incredible opportunities to profit are created.

[hsitz]

Yes, should probably be downvoted. The fact that a small minority can profit greatly in a downturn has virtually nothing to do with the question of how best to grow the economy.

[7Figures2Commas]

I can assure you that you don't have to be a member of the the 0.1% to profit in a downturn. If you can buy shares of stock and call options, you can short shares of stock and purchase puts.

Of course, you'll never win much sympathy profiting from sanity. If you want sympathy, help "grow the economy" by leveraging yourself to the hilt and blaming evil bankers when your debt catches up to you. But please recognize that you're not really growing the economy; you're just mortgaging your future.